Though it has never managed to achieve anything beyond cult status in the US (a planned American remake never made it past a pilot) Red Dwarf has steadily evolved in its native Britain from a quirky sci-fi sitcom into a veritable cultural institution as one of the most beloved comedy series of all time. Originally a short radio play titled Dave Hollins: Space Cadet, penned by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, Red Dwarf is a sci-fi slacker comedy about a lazy, drunken slob named Dave Lister (Craig Charles). Lister has no ambition, the personal hygiene of a homeless teenager, and subsists on a diet consisting entirely of curry and lager. He also happens to be the last human being in the universe.
Marooned in deep space aboard the mining ship Red Dwarf on which he served after three million years in hyper-sleep, Lister’s long, arguably fruitless journey back to Earth combined with his amiable nobility struck a chord with audiences and cemented the show’s popularity. Keeping our hero company are his companions Cat (Danny John-Jules), a preening fashionista that evolved from his pet cat; Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), a neurotic sanitation mechanoid; and Rimmer (Chris Barrie), a hologram of his dead bunkmate who exhibits the ego and ambition of a Caesar but displays the ability of a particularly untalented cretin.
Essentially The Odd Couple in space with Cat and Kryten providing color, the series underwent several distinct evolutions throughout its twenty-year history, spanning eight seasons. Characteristically low budget with a handmade feel and a studio audience laughter track, popular opinion maintains that the show hit its peak through seasons 3-6 when just the right balance was struck between budget and concept. The end of the sixth series ushered in a wealth of changes from which some say the show never recovered.
Off screen Rob Grant left the series entirely and the cast reportedly feuded (amongst other things over Robert Llewellyn’s decision to come to America and make the aforementioned pilot). On screen the show underwent a radical makeover, shifting from built sets and model miniatures to green screen and computer graphics resulting in an entirely new look that many fans of the handmade feel simply couldn’t warm to.
Having spent the better part of the noughties engaging in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to secure financing for a movie, Doug Naylor and the gang opted for these three specials, presented here as one feature length mini-movie, as a potential wrap to our loveable slob’s epic adventure. We can only hope there is more to come because Back to Earth is simply appalling. It’s not down to the cast all of who appear game, and the spark of instant chemistry would suggest they’ve put their problems behind them. The absence of a laughter track takes a bit of getting used to but can hardly be cited as a deal-breaker. No, the problem lies squarely with Doug Naylor’s writing, which has gotten progressively more lazy and obvious since Grant’s departure a decade ago.
Sending the crew back to Earth courtesy of a dimensional tear, Naylor proceeds to torture us with a shockingly self-indulgent meta-movie where the guys discover that they are in fact characters from a TV show. Realizing they are to be killed at the end of the last episode they attempt to track down their creator and hopefully prevent their deaths. Not only is this a horribly derivative idea to begin with, Naylor dilutes it even further by channeling the whole sorry affair into a misguided riff on Blade Runner, which seems to amount to little more than key scenes of the story being used as an excuse to cram in as many lame references and in-jokes as possible – the creator is dressed as Tyrell, one of them gets shot and falls in slow motion through a series of glass windows, etc. Worse still, people in the real world just accept that all this is possible (a guy in a sci-fi shop remarks: “Escape through a dimensional tear did you? Right.”)
Reaching a creative low around the time they stop by the set of Coronation Street (a primetime UK soap where Craig Charles now has a recurring role) this special is on par with the worst fan-fiction. But while it’s just awful – and it is just awful – that’s all it is, and after a while you become oddly numb to the whole thing. The cast is still excellent and the characters still work to provide their own singular humor. Out of a misguided sense of respect muddied by nostalgia, UK audiences were mostly kind to it, and there is talk of a potential series revival. One can only hope so because this beloved British comedy deserves better than this as a last hurrah.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
One thing the Red Dwarf team can never be accused of is scrimping when it comes to extras, and this double-disc edition is no exception. Included is a feature-length commentary with the cast who are immensely energetic and fun to listen to. There is also a feature-length commentary from director Doug Naylor (which I simply couldn’t bare to listen to after watching this). You also have the televised making-of documentary in addition to an unaired one. Featurettes include: special effects, the premiere event, cast signing sessions, press kit videos and behind the scenes webisodes. Deleted scenes all come with optional commentary from Doug Naylor. Finally you'll find a gag reel, along with various promos, trailers and photo galleries
"Red Dwarf: Back to Earth - The Director's Cut" is on sale October 6, 2009 and is rated NR. Comedy, Sci-Fi. Directed by Doug Naylor. Written by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor. Starring Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Sophie Winkleman.
